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Graziano Pellè
| cityofbirth = San Cesario di Lecce | countryofbirth = Italy | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Striker | currentclub = Shandong Luneng | clubnumber = 19 | youthyears = 2001–2004 | youthclubs = Lecce | years = 2004-2007 2005 2006 2006-2007 2007-2011 2011-2013 2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2016 2016– | clubs = Lecce → Catania (loan) → Crotone (loan) → Cesena (loan) AZ Parma → Sampdoria (loan) → Feyenoord (loan) Feyenoord Southampton Shandong Luneng | caps(goals) = 12 (0) 15 (0) 17 (6) 37 (10) 78 (14) 12 (1) 12 (4) 29 (27) 28 (23) 17 (8) 0 (0) | nationalyears = 2004-2005 2005-2007 2008 2014- | nationalteam = Italy U20 Italy U21 Italy Olympic Italy | nationalcaps(goals) = 10 (7) 11 (0) 5 (0) 2 (1) | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Graziano Pellè (born 15 July 1985) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Chinese club Shandong Luneng and the Italy national team. He began his career at local Serie A club Lecce, and was loaned to three lower-division sides before moving to the Dutch club AZ in 2007. He won the Eredivisie title in his second of four seasons at the club. After brief spells back in Italy with Parma and Sampdoria, he returned to the Dutch top flight, where his consistent scoring for Feyenoord earned Pellè an £8 million transfer to Southampton in July 2014. Pellè represented Italy at under-20 and under-21 level. He also played for their Olympic team in 2008, but was not selected for the tournament. He scored on his senior international debut in 2014 and represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2016. In July, 2016, after two seasons with Southampton, Pellè moved to Shandong Luneng, for an estimated fee of £12 million. Club career Early career International career After a successful loan spell with Cesena, Pellè earned a call-up to the Italian U21 side at the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship where he collected three appearances, all as a substitute. In the 5th-place playoff match against Portugal, he scored the first penalty kick in the shootout win, with a Panenka-style penalty. The win secured Italy the final European spot at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He was part of the preparation for the tournament but was ultimately not selected to the final 22-man squad for the Olympics. On 4 October 2014, he received his first call up to the Italy senior side for the Azzurri's Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Azerbaijan and Malta, at the expense of Mario Balotelli. He made his debut as a starter away to Malta, scoring the only goal of the game from close range after a corner in the 29th minute. International goals Honours Clubs ;AZ *Eredivisie: 2008–09 *Johan Cruijff Shield: 2009 ;Feyenoord *Eredivisie runner-up: 2013–14 International ;Italy U21 *Toulon Tournament: 2008 Individual *Feyenoord Top Scorer: 2012–13 (29 goals), 2013–14 (26 goals) *Southampton: Premier League Player of the Month: September 2014 External links * * * *National team data *Voetbal International profile Category:1985 births Category:Forwards Category:U.S. Lecce players Category:Calcio Catania players Category:F.C. Crotone players Category:A.C. Cesena players Category:AZ Alkmaar players Category:Parma F.C. players Category:U.C. Sampdoria players Category:Feyenoord players Category:Southampton F.C. players Category:Chinese Super League players Category:Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C. players Category:UEFA Euro 2016 players Category:Players Category:Italian players Category:Living people